I just cannot get the carb/insulin ratios right.

[gillrogers]

Hi all,

I think I'm just sounding off. Relatively new to carb counting and just can't fat these ratios right. Dinner time is a nightmare. I either go way to high or quickly descend to a hypo an hour after my meal. Or sometimes it's right. I keep Panicking about it. My last hba1c was fab but since I've had my covid jabs it's all gone out of the window. Every day I have a problem. I do have support from my DB Nurse now who says she's going to help me gain confidence. I'm also trying to hard and expecting too much of my self. I'm not due to talk to her again until next week now. It's so getting me down. Is this normal?

 

[trophywench]

Yes it is normal cos really you haven't been diagnosed ever so long. Everything is just completely so unfamiliar - how on earth could anyone not feel 'lost, alone and unloved' at times to begin with? We do get used to it and get over it - but, it takes time is all.

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi all,

I think I'm just sounding off. Relatively new to carb counting and just can't fat these ratios right. Dinner time is a nightmare. I either go way to high or quickly descend to a hypo an hour after my meal. Or sometimes it's right. I keep Panicking about it. My last hba1c was fab but since I've had my covid jabs it's all gone out of the window. Every day I have a problem. I do have support from my DB Nurse now who says she's going to help me gain confidence. I'm also trying to hard and expecting too much of my self. I'm not due to talk to her again until next week now. It's so getting me down. Is this normal?

There are many people finding their glucose levels are all over the place after having COVID vaccine, some people are having to adjust their insulin to cope with the erratic levels almost on a daily basis. So monitoring is really important whilst your body is reacting in such a way.

 

[rebrascora]

My basal insulin needs went up from 16 units to 35 at one stage over a period of 3 months after my AZ vaccine. It is just starting to settle and I have been able to reduce my basal (currently approx 24 units) a little in the last 2-3 weeks.

If your basal insulin dose is not correct, nothing else works as it should so always important to check basal insulin is holding you steady without food before you start messing with ratios for meals

 

[gillrogers]

My bg is coming down. I've already come down 3 units of basal from 10 to 7 in 2 weeks. It holds me steady over night now but during the day I'm sure it's making me come down too fast around my meal times, then I go into panick mode and over do it to makes sure I don't go low cos it takes so long to start coming back up and end up way too high. I'm testing all the time. My sensor says a steady drop but it seems fast to me. Is half a point in 20 mins fast? So from 8.5 to 8 in 20 mins fast?

 

[gillrogers]

So, dB nurse said to give 3 units of insulin to my 40 GM's of carbs of porridge. I cant work out what ratio that is. Could never do it at school.

 

[gillrogers]

Yes it is normal cos really you haven't been diagnosed ever so long. Everything is just completely so unfamiliar - how on earth could anyone not feel 'lost, alone and unloved' at times to begin with? We do get used to it and get over it - but, it takes time is all.

Thanks Jenny. I felt like I was going nuts yesterday. Bawling every 5 minutes .

 

[SB2015]

Good morning @gillrogers I hope that things are a bit easier today.
It is a lot to take in and our Diabetes doesn’t know that it is supposed to behave properly.

If you are still adjusting your background insulin (basal) this will impact your levels throughout the day, so try to be patient as you adjust things with your DSN.

One thought that I had is whether you are using a half unit pen. This can make such a difference especially when you are in low doses of insulin. Ask your DSN when you talk to her next time. You can then tweak your bolus and basal doses.

I was amazed when I saw on my Libre how big the spikes were for me with porridge so I abandoned that and switched to alternatives. Could you try something else?

It is frustrating getting things sorted and it is perfectly understandable that you get fed up with this.
Keep in touch with your DN and keep the questions coming.

 

[gillrogers]

So, dB nurse said to give 3 units of insulin to my 40 GM's of carbs of porridge. I cant work out what ratio that is. Could never do it at school.

1:13 ? Is that right? 40/3?

 

[gillrogers]

Good morning @gillrogers I hope that things are a bit easier today.
It is a lot to take in and our Diabetes doesn’t know that it is supposed to behave properly.

If you are still adjusting your background insulin (basal) this will impact your levels throughout the day, so try to be patient as you adjust things with your DSN.

One thought that I had is whether you are using a half unit pen. This can make such a difference especially when you are in low doses of insulin. Ask your DSN when you talk to her next time. You can then tweak your bolus and basal doses.

I was amazed when I saw on my Libre how big the spikes were for me with porridge so I abandoned that and switched to alternatives. Could you try something else?

It is frustrating getting things sorted and it is perfectly understandable that you get fed up with this.
Keep in touch with your DN and keep the questions coming.

Hi,

Thanks for your message . One thing my dB nurse showed me with the libre is that the graph on your device screen gives the impression of a large steep spike but if you look at it on a computer screen it's rather flatter ! I thought I was getting huge spike from my porridge but she says I'm not. . I can't do half units on my pen. It's lispro, whole units in afraid.

 

[Inka]

1:13 ? Is that right? 40/3?

Yes, it is 🙂 Take things slowly @gillrogersI know it’s frustrating but slow and steady is the way. Don’t let it get to you. Control is hard.

Once your basal settles, you should find it easier to get your ratios sorted. I think you’re doing well - be kind to yourself.

 

[gillrogers]

Yes, it is 🙂 Take things slowly @gillrogersI know it’s frustrating but slow and steady is the way. Don’t let it get to you. Control is hard.

Once your basal settles, you should find it easier to get your ratios sorted. I think you’re doing well - be kind to yourself.

Thank @Inka . I don't quite know how to go slow and steady . I understand what you mean but just dont know how to do it - the going slow and steady bit. There's just so much to know and every day in finding I need to take into account something else. X

 

[Inka]

Going slowly and steadily usually gives better results @gillrogers so maybe that could be your motivation 🙂

Diabetes is never a settled thing. We’re dealing with biological systems not machines. So always bear that in mind. We can only do our best, and even then we have to allow for the unexpected and not see it as a failure on our part. That’s one of the most difficult things. Knowing you’re not alone and that others are experiencing this too can help.

 

[trophywench]

Thanks Jenny. I felt like I was going nuts yesterday. Bawling every 5 minutes .

Darlin - I was never one for bursting into tears over apparently nothing - until 1972 ! Doesn't help at all though, be honest, does it? Got anyone who can just sit with their arm round you, so you know somebody cares and sympathises even though you both know they can't actually help - I was fortunate cos my husband did.

It does wear off - I remember one day - later - dissolving in tears yet again and suddenly realising - Blimey! - this hasn't happened for quite a while, has it? - and celebrating, cos it really was a lovely welcome surprise!

 

[pm133]

1:13 ? Is that right? 40/3?

That's an awkward ratio.
I am very good with numbers but I wouldn't want to calculate that in my head.

Do you have a calculator on your phone?
If not it might be worth investing in a cheap one which you can carry around.
Then for a meal, add the carbs up and then divide the total by 13.
For 40g of carbs, that would have a horrible result of something like 3.076923077 on your calculator. So between 3 and 4 units. You then need to decide whether to round down to 3 units or to round up to 4 units.

You should go around your kitchen reading some packets of stuff, calculating the carbs and then dividing by 13 until you are comfortable with that process.

Here's a few examples I tried. This is my breakfast:

200ml of milk in my cereal. 10g of carbs.
50g of Bran Flakes. 28g of carbs.
50g of grapes. 8g of carbs.
100ml of fresh juice. 11g of carbs.

Total carbs for breakfast is 57g carbs.

How much insulin? Well my ratio is 1:10 so I divide by 10 to get 5.7 units. Typically I round that up to 6 units of insulin.
Your ratio is 1:13 so you would divide 57g by 13 to get 4.3846 so between 4 and 5 units. You would presumably round down to 4 units.

My lunch was a pile of sliced ham, 5 tomatoes and 100g coleslaw.
The ham has no carbs worth mentioning. The tomatoes are about 7g carbs and the coleslaw is another 8g carbs.
Total carbs for lunch was 15g.
At a 1:10 ratio that was 1.5 units of insulin. I don't have a half unit pen so I took 2 units.
At a 1:13 ratio you would 15g carbs divide by 13 and that would be 1.15 units so you would round down and take 1 unit.

Does this make sense?

 

[gillrogers]

Yes, it is 🙂 Take things slowly @gillrogersI know it’s frustrating but slow and steady is the way. Don’t let it get to you. Control is hard.

Once your basal settles, you should find it easier to get your ratios sorted. I think you’re doing well - be kind to yourself.

Thank @Inka . I don't quite know how to go slow and steady . I understand what you mean but just dont know how to do it - the going slow and steady bit. There's just so much to know and every day in finding I need to take into account something else. X

Darlin - I was never one for bursting into tears over apparently nothing - until 1972 ! Doesn't help at all though, be honest, does it? Got anyone who can just sit with their arm round you, so you know somebody cares and sympathises even though you both know they can't actually help - I was fortunate cos my husband did.

It does wear off - I remember one day - later - dissolving in tears yet again and suddenly realising - Blimey! - this hasn't happened for quite a while, has it? - and celebrating, cos it really was a lovely welcome surprise!

You are so right @trophywench . It doesn't help and I know there's others far worse off than me and I'm sure it will improve. My trouble is I'm so terrified of being hospitalised through it it. I've had 4 years of horrible stress of my daughter having to go into care because of something she did and trying to support her and her own mental health and that made me poorly on top of what I thought then was type 2. It just doesn't let up.

That's an awkward ratio.
I am very good with numbers but I wouldn't want to calculate that in my head.

Do you have a calculator on your phone?
If not it might be worth investing in a cheap one which you can carry around.
Then for a meal, add the carbs up and then divide the total by 13.
For 40g of carbs, that would have a horrible result of something like 3.076923077 on your calculator. So between 3 and 4 units. You then need to decide whether to round down to 3 units or to round up to 4 units.

You should go around your kitchen reading some packets of stuff, calculating the carbs and then dividing by 13 until you are comfortable with that process.

Here's a few examples I tried. This is my breakfast:

200ml of milk in my cereal. 10g of carbs.
50g of Bran Flakes. 28g of carbs.
50g of grapes. 8g of carbs.
100ml of fresh juice. 11g of carbs.

Total carbs for breakfast is 57g carbs.

How much insulin? Well my ratio is 1:10 so I divide by 10 to get 5.7 units. Typically I round that up to 6 units of insulin.
Your ratio is 1:13 so you would divide 57g by 13 to get 4.3846 so between 4 and 5 units. You would presumably round down to 4 units.

My lunch was a pile of sliced ham, 5 tomatoes and 100g coleslaw.
The ham has no carbs worth mentioning. The tomatoes are about 7g carbs and the coleslaw is another 8g carbs.
Total carbs for lunch was 15g.
At a 1:10 ratio that was 1.5 units of insulin. I don't have a half unit pen so I took 2 units.
At a 1:13 ratio you would 15g carbs divide by 13 and that would be 1.15 units so you would round down and take 1 unit.

Does this make sense?

Yes it does @pm133 . I've managed to finally work out the calculation itself now. So I can whizz with that now. Have no problem with money calculations as long as it doesn't have percentages, fractions or ratios. They literally make y head hurt!